Fighting resistant bacterial 'superbugs' by novel antibiotic combination dosing strategies

Abstract

Antibiotic resistance in bacterial ‘superbugs’ poses one of the greatest threats to human health worldwide, with fears of a return to the pre-antibiotic era. This is especially problematic for patients with cystic fibrosis who are prone to bacterial respiratory infections. Antibiotic therapies against bacterial pathogens such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa are often ineffective at preventing the emergence of resistance. This thesis identified clinically relevant, synergistic antibiotic combinations to combat P. aeruginosa ‘superbugs’. Ultimately, this thesis contributes to the optimisation of rational antibiotic combination dosage regimens for cystic fibrosis patients infected with P. aeruginosa.